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What caliber is your Open gun?


G-ManBart

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Since it's the start of a new year I'm wondering who's shooting what in Open. I've left out some choices like 9x25 and .357 Sig as they're so unusual as to be irrelevant (no offense intended). This isn't to start a debate about which is better, just to claim what you are CURRENTLY shooting. Not what you plan on or hope to...what the gun(s) in the safe are currently chambered in. If you plan on making a switch, that would be a great post to add details. Thanks!

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With my new to me Caspian, I'm currently shooting .38 Super. I'm going to try some .38 Super Comp brass next week and see how that works. I'm still trying to decide if I want to make the switch to 9MM Major.

My current messing around load is 9grns of 3N38, WSRP, at 1.250 OAL. 5" Gun, no popple holes and 7 port Comp

One thing I've noticed coming from production with Glocks and XDs is that open is expensive :surprise::surprise:

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.38 Super for me. By the time I lose a casing at a match I've typically reloaded it 6 to 8 times. That means the residual value is in the 2¢ to 3¢ range. Considering the great deals I got on all three of my used .38 Open guns, how much easier it is to reload the slightly longer casings and the really minimal brass costs I am more than happy with it.

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I shoot 2-38 Supers (115 Zeros and 8.9 True Blue)and constantly fight the urge to switch to 9 major. As someone above pointed out Open is expensive, but the Super is easier to load and prepare equipment for. Two local shooters have broken three slides within a year and dropped out of the game. Maybe I should focus on shooting and not changing equipment when it works?

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Remimber when they all said MAJOR 9 will not work!!!!

HA!HA!HA!HAH!AHA!HAH!AH!AH!A!HH!HAHA!H!HAHA! I love my major 9 :cheers:

Sure they'll work if they're set up by someone who knows what they're doing. Two or three smiths that make good ones have told me it's not a problem at all, but it does take them more time to build an equally reliable gun in 9mm compared with Super. Nothing wrong with that really, just like a .40 SS gun takes a little more to make reliable.

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My 9 major is in an old small frame Witness that was originally a 9x21. I had to work thru some mag issues, but other than that its running fine.

(I shot a Springfield Custon Shot P9 in 9x21 in the late 90's, should have never sold it)

Charles

A20840

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Remimber when they all said MAJOR 9 will not work!!!!

HA!HA!HA!HAH!AHA!HAH!AH!AH!A!HH!HAHA!H!HAHA! I love my major 9 :cheers:

Sure they'll work if they're set up by someone who knows what they're doing. Two or three smiths that make good ones have told me it's not a problem at all, but it does take them more time to build an equally reliable gun in 9mm compared with Super. Nothing wrong with that really, just like a .40 SS gun takes a little more to make reliable.

I just looked major 9 53.66% The extra work may be worth it

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When I decided to buy my wife an Open gun, I bought her a .38SC. I wanted her to have a gun that would run without turning me into a mag tuning, extractor tuning, pistol smithing freak.

It's tried and true for years now. Yeah, there are 9 Major open guns that are running, but for the cost of an STI Trubor? I like the fact that I can take a mag tube, throw Bolen springs and followers and a Dawson SNL pad on there and she is running.

If I put her in a 1/2 working 9mm she'd lose interest real fast. If I spent the money on a JL Hardy or Bedell gun she'd divorce me. I don't want either of those to happen.

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Remimber when they all said MAJOR 9 will not work!!!!

HA!HA!HA!HAH!AHA!HAH!AH!AH!A!HH!HAHA!H!HAHA! I love my major 9 :cheers:

Sure they'll work if they're set up by someone who knows what they're doing. Two or three smiths that make good ones have told me it's not a problem at all, but it does take them more time to build an equally reliable gun in 9mm compared with Super. Nothing wrong with that really, just like a .40 SS gun takes a little more to make reliable.

I just looked major 9 53.66% The extra work may be worth it

I think it's a bit early to come to any conclusions. Further, I'd submit that the folks here represent a pretty small cross-section of USPSA shooters and they're likely to be much more up-to-date on what can and can't be done. So, we're not going to get a true answer. The most realistic results will come when USPSA publishes their data from the Nationals.

We're not going to turn this into "which is better". They all have their place for different reasons. I'll just stick with what my gunsmith recommends and be happy with my choice :)

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1 - Super and Supercomp are, essentially, the same. So... add them...

2 - take a look at what's actually winning, in practice.... ;)

3 - shoot what works for you... doesn't matter what it is... follow no religion, and don't fool yourself about it, either way...

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Remimber when they all said MAJOR 9 will not work!!!!

HA!HA!HA!HAH!AHA!HAH!AH!AH!A!HH!HAHA!H!HAHA! I love my major 9 :cheers:

Sure they'll work if they're set up by someone who knows what they're doing. Two or three smiths that make good ones have told me it's not a problem at all, but it does take them more time to build an equally reliable gun in 9mm compared with Super. Nothing wrong with that really, just like a .40 SS gun takes a little more to make reliable.

I've been shooting Major 9 since last February when I picked up a lightly used Hardy full size. In over 10K rounds I've had exactly 2 FTF and both were ammo problems. Can't get more reliable than that!

Super and Supercomp essentially the same. Ditto for 9x19 and 9x21. Load'em the same (at least I do).

Bill

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I've been shooting Major 9 since last February when I picked up a lightly used Hardy full size. In over 10K rounds I've had exactly 2 FTF and both were ammo problems. Can't get more reliable than that!

Hardy is definitely one of the guys that knows how to make a 9mm Open gun run....if it didn't I'd be worried. R,

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what is meant by "Major 9"? Is it a 9X19 loaded to 1.169" and running WAY over SAAMI spec? Is it a 9X19 case loaded to longer than 1.169"? Back in the late 1980s I had a buddy who shot what I called a Super 9. It was a 9X19 case with a 160gr RN bullet loaded to 1.24" just like many .38 Supers. I don't know if Paul Miller invented it but he did design the 160gr RN bullet with the lube groove right down near the base of the bullet allowing the bullet to be seated long.

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what is meant by "Major 9"? Is it a 9X19 loaded to 1.169" and running WAY over SAAMI spec? Is it a 9X19 case loaded to longer than 1.169"? Back in the late 1980s I had a buddy who shot what I called a Super 9. It was a 9X19 case with a 160gr RN bullet loaded to 1.24" just like many .38 Supers. I don't know if Paul Miller invented it but he did design the 160gr RN bullet with the lube groove right down near the base of the bullet allowing the bullet to be seated long.

Major 9 = 9x19 that exceeds 165 PF. Length .vs SAAMI has nothing to do with it, specifically.... although most need to load longer than spec to accomplish it.

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